Annapolis Marches to Saranac Score
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Annapolis wins the Saranac Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Bass Racing's Kentucky homebred Annapolis made every pole a winning one in the $186,000 Saranac Stakes (G3T) Sept. 3 at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and piloted by leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr., the War Front colt led three rivals through soft opening splits of :25, :49.79, and 1:13.65 over the firm going in the a 1 1/16-mile turf test for sophomores before drawing off to a comfortable 5 1/2-length victory in a final time of 1:42.57. He returned $2.30 for a $2 win bet as the prohibitive favorite.
"You don't take anything for granted," Pletcher said. "We were just hoping for a clean trip, and it looked like a race on paper that had no true pacesetter so we just kind of inherited the lead. It looked like he was traveling comfortably throughout."
Ortiz said he rode with confidence aboard the multiple graded stakes winner.
"There wasn't too much speed in the race, so he controlled the race," Ortiz noted. "He was nice and relaxed out there the whole time and was there when I asked him to go. He was the best horse in the race. That's a workout for him. He's pretty nice. He just got beat by some nice horses last time and came back today in great form and was there for me the whole time."
Joel Rosario took over riding duties from Javier Castellano—who hurt his ankle one race prior—aboard Celestial City and utilized a ground-saving trip from third to dead-heat for second with the Manny Franco-piloted Fuerteventura , who re-rallied down the lane after pressing through the final turn. Ethereal Road trailed throughout. Piqua was scratched.
Annapolis, winner of Belmont Park's Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) as a juvenile, began his sophomore campaign with a runner-up finish in the June 3 Penn Mile Stakes (G2T) before taking the July 4 Manila Stakes. He entered the Saranac off a second-place finish to Nations Pride in the Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes(G1T) at Saratoga, edging grade 1 winner Classic Causeway for place honors.
Pletcher said Annapolis will next face elders for the first time in the $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) Oct. 8 at Keeneland, which offers a Breeders' Cup Challenge berth to the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).
"He's shown up and run well in each start of his life. We just felt like he was a colt that carries plenty of condition," Pletcher said. "We had thought about training up to the Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland but decided he was doing great and probably a race in between would suit him.
"We (think highly of him) and feel like a mile might suit him perfectly, and so we'll see where we fit, but he's a big, strong colt physically," Pletcher added. "He seems like the type that would handle that step up in age."
Annapolis banked $110,000 in victory, boosting his career total to $592,600. He improved his record to 4-2-0 in six starts.
Bred in Kentucky, Annapolis is the second foal out of the grade 2 winner and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up My Miss Sophia . The mare, a daughter of Unbridled's Song, has also produced the stakes-placed runner Nevisian Suprise and a yearling colt, both of whom are full siblings to Annapolis.
Annapolis was part of a banner day for Claiborne Farm stallion War Front, whose progeny were successful across the globe. Other War Front progeny to win stakes contests on Saturday included his daughter Sippinsoda , in the Prix Occitanie-A2I Informatique in France and son Cadre Du Noir, a $1.1 million acquisition from the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, in the Tattersalls Club Cup at Randwick Racecourse in Australia.